


Rescuing the Prince

by princeharryfanfiction



Category: British Royalty RPF, Royalty RPF
Genre: F/M, Gen, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-29
Updated: 2013-09-29
Packaged: 2017-12-27 23:41:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/985034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princeharryfanfiction/pseuds/princeharryfanfiction
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Claire comes across a car wrecked in the pouring rain, she stops to offer help, never expecting how much it will change her life</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rescuing the Prince

The rain was coming down in sheets as Claire O’Connell made her way carefully down the country road. Having lived in the small Irish town all of her life, she knew the road like the back of her hand, but it didn’t make it any less treacherous in weather like this. She pushed her long mahogany hair from her eyes and sighed, hoping the really bad stuff would hold out just a bit longer until she made it home.

Claire was less than a quarter mile from her house when she rounded a notoriously sharp corner and gasped, slamming her foot on the break just in time to avoid ramming into the back end of the black sports car that was sticking out of the drainage ditch on the side of the road. The front end was submerged under the three or four feet of water rushing through the ditch. She looked frantically around through her windshield, hoping that there was a person standing somewhere and they weren’t trapped in the car. The rain was so heavy though that she couldn’t see clearly. She jumped out of her car, the heavy rain immediately soaking her. She ran to the edge of the car and leaned out as far as she could over the ditch to try and see inside the car.

“Damn. I can’t…” she muttered as she struggled to get a good look.

“Thank God!” a deep voice yelled from behind her, startling her. She whirled around and found the source of the voice.

“Is this your car?” she yelled over the drive of the drive of the rain at the tall, broad shouldered man who was walking against the wind towards her.

“Yeah,” he called back. “I didn’t know that curve was so tight.”

He was definitely British, and definitely posh, judging by his accent. Claire resisted rolling her eyes. He was probably some rich tourist who was lost. She just wasn’t in the mood today to have to deal with helping someone get back to the city, and especially not in this rain.

“Well, it looks like it’s stuck for now. The rain isn’t going to let up for quite a while. Do you have someone coming to get you?” Claire asked the man as he moved closer to her.

He was as soaked to the bone as she was. His hair was plastered to his head, but being Irish, she knew a red head when she saw one. She couldn’t tell what color his eyes were as he was squinting to keep the rain out, but he was definitely good looking and from the t-shirt that was stuck wetly to his torso, she could make out that he was athletically built.

Great. All she needed today was some aristocrat who thought he was God’s gift.

The stranger shook his head. “No. I um…I called but it’s flooded somewhere down by some bridge. I wasn’t really supposed to be…well, never mind. Long story. Is there an inn or something around here? I could walk if you tell me which was to go.”

Claire almost laughed. “Yeah, there’s an inn. It’s on the other side of that bridge that’s flooded out.”

“Shit,” the stranger hissed. “I’m in so much fucking trouble.”

“Is the wife going to be looking for you?” Claire asked before she could stop herself. She almost groaned in embarrassment. Why the hell would she even ask that?

To his credit the stranger just kind of looked at her and laughed lightly. “No,” he said with a shake of his wet head. “No wife. Listen, do you have a mobile phone I could use or something in your car? Mine’s water logged from the rain. It cut out when I was on it before.”

Claire looked back towards her car and then back towards the stranger. “I have a mobile. But how do I know you aren’t an ax murderer or something. I mean, this could all be an elaborate set up to kidnap me and chop me into a million pieces.”

The stranger blinked several times before bursting out into full on laughter. “Oh God. I thought you were joking before. You really don’t recognize me, do you?”

This time Claire did roll her eyes. “And who am I supposed to be recognizing?”

“Let me use your phone and I’ll tell you,” he said with a grin.

A shiver ripped through her then and she glanced back to her car, still running and warm on the inside. She knew she probably should just leave him on the road, but something inside of her told her that if she did leave him here she would regret it.

“Fine,” she called above the rain, which had just begun to drive harder. “Come on then.”

She ran back towards her car, opened the door and slid in, her eyes trained on him as he moved around the front of her car and then opened the passenger door, sliding in as well. He turned and looked at her, smiling gratefully as the heat blasted through the vents at them. He pushed his wet hair from his eyes and Claire finally got a good look at them. They were a clear, light blue color that made Claire’s heart beat a little faster. She blinked and did a mental shake. What was wrong with her?

“Um…mobile phone,” she mumbled quickly as she reached for her bag in the backseat and pulled her phone from it. She handed it to him and he smiled.

“Thank you,” he said politely. Suddenly he didn’t want to look away from her to dial the phone. Now that they were out of the rain he noticed that she really had the most stunning almond shaped green eyes that combined with her fair skin and dark hair to make her startling beautiful. He almost couldn’t help but stare at her for a moment.

“You’re welcome,” she responded as he finally tore his gaze from her and quickly dialed a number and pressed the phone to his ear. His head turned and stared out of the window towards his car.

“It’s Harry,” he said immediately when the line picked up.

Harry? She thought. Who is famous named Harry? Well…it could be short for Harold…or Henry…or…

Claire’s eyes went wide. “You,” she whispered almost accusingly, pointing a finger at him. He grinned at her, amused that she finally figured it out.

“Yes. I’m with a local, she came up on the car in the ditch and stopped to help,” Harry said into the phone. “Her name? Her name is…”

She just stared at him for a moment before snapping to her senses. “Claire,” she whispered. “Claire O’Connell.”

“Her name is Claire O’Connell,” Harry finished with a small smile. “Yes…yes. No, I’m not sure. Is there no way we can get a helicopter or…Damn…hold on.” He pulled the phone away from his ear and pressed mute. “How far do you live from here?”

“Under a quarter of a mile,” Claire answered, completely bewildered.

Harry nodded. “Can you take me there?”

Claire’s mouth dropped. “I…I’m sorry. Did you just ask me to take you to my home?”

“Yes. My people are trying to find a way to get me out, but in the mean time I can’t just be sitting out in the rain. If you don’t want to take me to your house, that’s fine. If you know someone who could…”

Yeah, like my nosy neighbors wouldn’t be just delighted to phone the entire town and let everyone know if I dropped Prince fucking Harry off at their doorstep. Again, the last thing I need today, Claire thought.

She held up her hands. “No. I’ll take you. Just until you get your ride out, right?”

Harry laughed. “Well, I’m not planning on moving in.”

Claire’s lips turned up at the corners despite herself. “Believe me, after seeing the tiny little hole I live in, you won’t want to.”

Harry chuckled and shook his head as he pressed the mute button again and pulled the phone back up to his ear. “Miss Claire O’Connell is going to take me to her house. I’ll call again when I get there….yes…yes…okay…thank you.” He pulled the phone from his ear, ended the call, and handed it back to Claire.

She slipped it back into her bag and tossed it into her backseat before turning back to the wheel of the car. She put it in gear and immediately got to work navigating the tricky road.

“So…you’re Prince Harry?” she asked, trying not to sound freaked out at all by the fact that he was sitting, soaking wet, in her car.

“I am. You know, we can wait to talk until we get to your house,” he responded quickly.

She snuck a glance at him. His fingers were holding tight to the handle on the door. She laughed. “I can talk and drive. And I’m not the one who ran my car into a ditch.”

He looked over at the beautiful brunette in the driver’s seat and he caught her looking at him. “Can you look at the road?”

Claire smirked. “Listen, I’ve been driving on this road for as long as I can remember. I promise you that in less than thirty seconds, we will be pulling up in my drive.”

“Thirty seconds?”

“Less than,” Claire said as she made a turn. “Here we are.”

Harry turned and looked as she pulled the car slowly up the drive to the small cottage. It looked quaint and homey. She turned the car off and turned to grab her bag from the back seat.

“Ready to run for it?” she asked with a smirk.

“Ha! We’re already soaked,” Harry laughed, gesturing to himself.

Claire’s eyes flicked over him before she could help herself, with his wet clothes stuck to his lean, athletic frame. When she realized what she was doing she snapped her eyes back up and blushed furiously when he was looking at her with his eyebrows raised. She could feel the heat spread in her cheeks and she could not even believe that he just caught her checking him out like that.

“I um…I may have something you can change into,” she muttered as she felt her cheeks get even hotter.

To his credit Harry didn’t seem to be interested in teasing her about her blatant perusal of him. “Sure, if you’ve got something,” he just offered in response.

“Yeah…okay. Well, let’s get inside then.” Claire turned and opened her door and slid out into the driving rain. Harry did the same and followed her as she went running up her path and to the front door. They both ducked under the awning and out of the rain as Clair searched for her keys. Once she finally located them she opened up the door and stepped in with Harry right behind her.

As she set her things down and peeled off her wet jacket, Harry glanced around. The house was warm and cozy. She hadn’t been lying when she said it was small; but in no way did Harry think it was a “hole” as she had described it. It was tidy and comfortable and he found himself smiling as he looked around.

“Let me go see if I can find you something to wear,” she said from behind him. He turned and smiled gratefully.

“Thank you. Anything will do, really. I’m not particular.”

She nodded and hurried from the entry, through the living room, and disappeared down a hallway. Harry stood there and waited, trying not to shiver as he heard her moving through things in whatever room she was in. He laughed to himself, amused at the situation he found himself in. Standing in some woman’s home, a drop dead gorgeous woman none the less, drenched to the bone because he was a moron and ran his rented sports car into a ditch. He had just been looking for a little time alone, some time to think. His protection officers certainly weren’t happy that they couldn’t get to him, and he was sure he was going to get shit for losing them on those back country roads on purpose.

Harry’s thoughts were brought back to the present when Claire came back in, carrying an armful of clothes.

“I found some sweatpants, a t-shirt, and a sweatshirt. There are also some socks too,” she said as she walked over to him and handed him the clean, dry clothes.

“That’s great, Claire. Thank you,” Harry said. He was genuinely grateful for the clothes and would be more than happy to get out of the wet ones he currently had on.

Claire shrugged. “Sure. You can change in the bathroom. It’s down the hall, first door on the right,” she said, pointing in the direction. “I’m going to go change as well. Just bring your wet stuff out and I’ll throw them in the dryer.”

Harry nodded and Claire moved off back down the hallway, to what he assumed was her room. Harry walked to the door she had pointed out and went into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. He quickly changed out of his wet clothes and into the dry ones Claire provided. The sweat pants were a touch too big, but the plain white t-shirt fit fine and the sweatshirt was plenty comfortable and warm. Harry found a towel in the cabinet and ran it over his hair, drying it as much as he could. He glanced in the mirror quickly and shook his head and chuckled as he saw the red mess sticking out in a million different directions. Then, h gathered his wet clothes, opened the bathroom door, stepped swiftly into the hallway, and moved out into the living room.

And stopped short in his tracks.

Claire was standing at the window looking out over the rain. She had changed clothes and was now clad in tight yoga pants and a small worn t-shirt. She must have brushed her wet hair out and it was already drying up in soft, dark waves down her back. She must have put music on because it was drifting through the space from somewhere, filling the small rooms.

Harry’s body reacted immediately reacted to the sight of her. For the rest of his life he would never quite understand what it had been about that woman that drew such a knee jerk reaction from his hormones. He stood there; drinking her in, willing himself to make some sort of noise, something to alert her that he was there so the moment would be broken and he could stop his rampant imagination, which was currently picturing his hands peeling those yoga pants slowly…achingly…off of her long, lean legs.

Suddenly a burst of lighting lit up the room followed almost immediately by an extremely loud clap of thunder. It startled both of them, bringing a gasp from Claire and causing Harry to jump a little bit. Harry’s reaction drew Claire’s attention to the fact that he was in the room and she turned to look at him. Her breath caught at the look on Harry’s face; the heat in his eyes. 

He took a step forward. It was almost instinctual; spurned on by the way her eyes held his, the way her breathing had gone shallow when she caught him staring at her…he had caught it. He wasn’t clueless. She had reacted to him too.

“Claire…” he breathed as he took another step forward. Her eyes were wide as she watched him come slowly towards her. He dropped his wet clothes on a side table as he passed by, never even giving them a second thought as he moved closer to her.

Claire watched him, her chest heaving up and down. What in the world was going on? She had barely had a full conversation with this man and yet, here she was, just standing there as he moved toward her on a mission. She knew what the mission was. She wasn’t a young, silly thing. She was completely aware that there was some kind of crazy pull developing between them. And as he moved in front of her, as she tilted her head up to look at him, as she leaned into the cool pane of the window behind her; her brain began to slow down. The normal Claire that would have stopped him the second he took that first step disappeared. Instead, this Claire decided that if there were any day in her life that she should just run with something, this should be it.

His hands came up and braced themselves on the window pane on either side of her head. He leaned in closer to her. Claire couldn’t help but think how amazing he smelled – the freshness of the rain mixed with something spicy that could only be something that came from him. Harry couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she looked just then – the startling green eyes, the sprinkle of freckles just across the bridge of her nose, the way her cheeks were flushed due to their closeness.

“This is insane…” Claire whispered as he lowered his head down to hers.

“Maybe I am a little bit crazy,” Harry whispered back. Their lips were almost touching and the air around them was charged and heavy.

“I think you might be…”

Harry smirked at her sass. “What about you?”

Her hands moved up to his stomach, resting against the thick material of his sweatshirt. “Me?”

“You are a little bit - ” He was cut off mid-sentence when her mobile rang shrilly from her bag across the room. He looked over in its direction and let out a sigh. “I forgot to call my Protection Officer back from your mobile when I got here. That’s probably him. If I don’t answer…”

“They’ll send in the cavalry?” Claire offered.

Harry’s lips curved slightly. “Something like that.”

Regretfully and with a sigh he moved away from her and she went to get her phone. She flashed him the screen and he nodded, confirming the number was in fact, his PO. She handed him the phone and he connected the call with a roll of his eyes.

“This is Harry…Sorry, I had to change clothes and…No, it’s fine. Secure…Yes, you can reach me on this number and I’ll touch base with you first thing in the morning….Okay, bye.” He hung up and handed the phone back to Claire who was staring at him with a wide open mouth. “What?” he asked cautiously.

“The morning?” she asked, her voice squeaking.

“The said the rain isn’t going to let up until early tomorrow morning, around six a.m.”

“Okay…so you just invited yourself to stay?”

Harry laughed. “Right before the phone rang, I think you were about to invite me yourself.”

Claire’s face went red. “Who do you think you are? You can’t just come in here and make yourself at home. This is my house! You need to ASK someone before you just assume you can stay the night at someone else’s house.”

Harry’s eyebrows rose in surprise and he put his hands out in front of him, palms splayed outward. “Hey, Claire…I’m sorry. I just figured you wouldn’t say no and kick me out into the rain is all. But you are right, it was unbelievably rude of me and I really do apologize.”

Claire continued to glare at him for several more seconds before she finally sighed, the momentary flash of anger leaving her. She was overreacting and she knew it. Because, of course she wouldn’t kick him out in the rain. The thing was though; she wasn’t going to kick him out of her bed either. And he was right; before the phone rang, she was millimeters away from letting him take her against her living room window.

“No, it’s okay,” she said apologetically. “Of course you can stay. It’s just…today has been insane from the start. It has literally been the strangest day of my life and it just keeps getting weirder. As a result, I lost my shit there for a moment.”

Harry gave her a small smile. “And I’d assume that my appearance and continued presence is part of the strangeness.”

Claire burst out laughing, and Harry couldn’t help but grin in response to the delightful sound. “I’d say so.”

He nodded and decided not to dwell on that any further. And knowing the moment that their almost kiss had happened in had passed, Harry didn’t want to press that either. Instead, he walked over to the table he had dumped his wet clothes and picked them up. “Where do you want me to put these?” he asked her.

“I’ll just go put them in the dryer,” she said quickly, taking them from him. She turned and walked through her kitchen and opened a door on the other side, moving quickly into the laundry room. He heard the dryer start and then she came back out, closing the door behind her.

“So, aside from my presence, what happened today that made it so strange?” Harry asked as she walked towards him.

She stopped and leaned against the frame of the archway into the kitchen. She sighed and frowned as she looked at him. “Do you really want to know?”

“If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have asked,” he responded cheekily.

She narrowed her eyes at him for a second before she turned abruptly and went back into her small kitchen.

“What are you doing?” he called after her. She didn’t respond, but he watched her move through the kitchen, grabbing two small glasses, throwing some ice into each of them, and then grabbing a bottle of vodka under her cabinet. She went over and set them both on the small table in her kitchen and then finally she turned back to look at him.

“I’ll tell you, but I’m going to need to drink while I do it. And you’re going to drink with me…if you can keep up.” She raised an eyebrow in challenge.

He grinned instantly. She didn’t know about throwing a challenge at a Windsor man. “Oh, I can keep up,” he tossed back at her before moving quickly in to join her at the kitchen. A small, self-satisfied smile played on her lips as she poured the two small glasses full of vodka and then took a seat in one of the chairs. She motioned for him to join and he did, sliding in across from her.

He reached for his glass and lifted it up in the air and she followed his lead. “To strange days,” he said, his lips curving up at the sides.

“To strange days,” she repeated before they each tipped their glass to their lips. Harry took a swallow and went to set his glass down but when he looked at Claire he was surprised to see her gulping the entire contents of hers down. Not to be outdone, Harry immediately brought his back to his lips and tipped the rest of it down his throat. He heard her hiss at the burn when she finished and he wasn’t far behind her, squeezing his eyes quickly against it and setting the glass back on the table.

His eyes open and focused on Claire as she took a deep breath and looked up at him.

“I got divorced this morning.”

Harry blinked, processing that. “Well. Holy shit.”

Claire nodded slowly. “The clothes you’re wearing…”

“Ex-husband’s clothes?” he asked, pulling at the sweatshirt.

“Yeah. Sorry”

He shook his head slowly. “No, I’m not offended. They are just clothes.” He stopped and blew a breath out before picking up the vodka bottle and pouring them both another drink. “That’s definitely not what I expected you to say.”

Claire laughed, the vodka having already relaxed her a bit. “So you can imagine my brain right now. I got divorced this morning and then picked up Prince Harry on my way home. Cheers to that,” she joked, clinking her glass with his before taking a small sip and putting the glass back down.

Harry threw back his head in laughter. “I honestly can’t relate to that, but at least you have a good attitude.”

Claire shrugged. “He’s an asshole.”

“Yeah?” Harry asked, lifting his eyebrows. “What did the asshole do?”

“Ah,” Claire murmured, taking another sip of her drink. “It’s not what he did. It’s who he did.”

“Well, fuck…who in the hell did he do?”

Claire laughed lightly. “Everyone but me it seems.”

“Well, he’s a fucking idiot,” Harry said immediately. “I mean, look at you. Who would need anyone else?”

Claire scoffed. “I mean, I know I’m somewhat attractive…but…”

“No,” Harry cut her off. “You are downright beautiful. Gorgeous. Fucking sexy. Any man that would leave your bed for someone else’s needs a kick in the head.”

Claire opened her mouth to react but shut it quickly. She reached for her drink and took another large swallow, trying to hide the flush crawling up her cheeks.

“What?” Harry asked in a soft voice. “What were you going to say?”

Claire gulped. “Honestly?”

“Please.”

“Oh God,” she murmured. She closed her eyes for a moment before she opened them back up to him. “I was going to say that if you think I’m so beautiful you should take me to bed.”

Harry’s eyes snapped wide and a slow, cocky grin appeared on his face. “You were not…”

She nodded and cringed in embarrassment. “That’s why I shut my mouth so quick. Because it was an absolutely ridiculous thing to even think, let alone say. I mean really, I’m supposed to be keeping you safe here in my home and here I am suggesting…”

“Claire,” he interrupted her in a rough voice. “It’s not ridiculous.”

“Yes, it is.”

He shook his head slowly. “You do realize that if your phone hadn’t rang earlier we would already be there? In your bed, I mean.”

“Damn phone,” she swore softly, her lips twitching.

Harry chuckled and then bit his bottom lip softly as he pushed his chair slowly back from the table, keeping eye contact with Claire the entire time. He stood and walked around the table, holding his hand out for her. She put her hand out instantly, drawn to him in a way she had never experienced before. She should have been shy or nervous as she stood there with his eyes blazing down at her, but she wasn’t at all. They were both adults, they were both single, and they both wanted this…wanted each other.

He pulled her up and against him, her soft curves pressing against the tight muscles of his chest and stomach. She immediately leaned into him, her arms winding themselves around his neck and pressing closer. Harry’s hands moved to her hips, holding her steady against him.

“Are you sure?” he asked. His eyes searched hers, making sure she wanted this, that she was okay with this.

Her hands moved up and into his hair, her fingers sliding into the soft strands. “Yes.”

“Good,” he breathed, a smirk on his lips as he leaned down closer to her. Claire watched wide eyed, sure he was going to kiss her, waiting for him to tilt his lips in her direction. But he surprised her when he slid his hands further down until they were wrapped around the backs of her thighs and he was almost eye level with her. Then he stood straight up, lifting her with him and bringing a gasp of surprise from her lips. Her legs automatically went around his waist and he groaned at the feeling of her there, pulling her tight against him.

And then he was moving, walking slowly into her living room as he held her to him, his eyes never leaving hers. The heat he found there was intoxicating and he was dying to explore that; to delve into the depths of those green pieces of art and see all of the looks he could draw from them. He’d had every intention of taking them both back to her bedroom but her eyes sidetracked him something fierce and suddenly all he could think of was beginning the process of watching the passion build up in them. And just like that he forgot he was going somewhere and was turning them and pressing her up against the wall right there in the living room.

With one hand under her backside to support her, he moved the other hand up, shoving it into her hair at the base of her neck and fisting a hand around the silky strands there. With one last searching glance to be sure she was exactly where he was, he tilted his head forward and watched, enthralled, as her eyes slid closed moment before his lips covered hers.

A shiver ripped through Claire’s body at the feeling of Harry’s mouth on hers. Her arms tightened themselves around his neck and he groaned against her lips as she pressed herself more tightly to him. And when his tongue ran teasingly along the seam of her lips, there was not a single moment of hesitation before Claire opened her lips under his and invited him in. His tongue dipped in instantly, finding hers and sliding alongside of it, moaning at the feeling of her. Her mouth was hot and sweet and was moving against his in this slow, easy way that was arousing him into a ridiculous state.

“Jesus Claire…” he murmured against her lips as he fed off of them like a starving man at banquet. And although her lips were amazing, he needed more of her. Pressing her harder into the wall to hold her there, he moved his arm from under her backside and ran it hotly up her side until he got to the hem of her t-shirt and pushed up underneath of it, his hot fingers coming in contact with the soft, smooth skin of her stomach. Her body jerked at his touch, a breathy moan pushed from her mouth into his and her fingers tightened in his hair. He pulled back from her lips and looked down at her, watching her face as his fingers dancing lightly across her stomach. Her lips were swollen, her eyes were dark with passion, and Harry thought that he had never seen anything sexier in his life.

“I want to touch you too,” Claire breathed, a small smith playing on her lips. Harry groaned, her request fanning the fire growing within him. He leaned back just a bit and she took the cue, moving her hands from around his neck down to the hem of his sweatshirt. Grabbing both the bottom of the sweatshirt and the t-shirt below it, she surprised him by tugging them both up sharply, bringing them up to his chest. “Off,” she whispered, her eyes flicking hotly up to his.

“Yes ma’am,” he grinned, loving that she had demanded what she wanted from him. With a little bit of maneuvering, she managed to pull both shirts over his head with him having to set her down and then his hands were instantly back on her, pushing at the bottom of her shirt, wanting her just as undressed as he was. She lifted her arms and he pulled the shirt from her and flung it across the room. “God…” he whispered, sucking in a sharp breath as he looked down at her. The white lacy bra looked amazing against her fair skin. The tops of her breasts were swelling against the lace and the sight nearly undid him. He leaned forward and pressed light kisses across the flushed skin there, smiling against her as goosebumps appeared and she shivered from his actions.

Then suddenly he lifted his head from her and pushed them back from the wall, moving backwards swiftly until he had them at the couch and he sank back into it, bringing her down with him. She was straddling him and he tugged her tight against him. Her eyes flashed when she felt him against her, hard and completely ready.

“I’ve been hard for you since I saw you standing by the window,” Harry growled as he moved his hands to her ass and pulled her harder against him.

Claire looked down at his bare stomach and chest at her disposal and she grinned as she placed her hands on his abdomen, watching the muscles jump beneath her fingers. She ran her hands slowly up his stomach and over his broad chest, until they were resting on his shoulders. She leaned down then, pressing herself against him and rocking her hips slightly against his. “I could go back over to there,” she murmured, nodding towards the window.

Harry smirked and moved his hands up from her ass to her back, stopping over the strap of her bra. “Not a chance,” he growled as he flicked the snap open.

She cocked an eyebrow just as he was reaching up to pull the straps from her shoulders. “Are you sure? Because…”

He leaned up and captured her lips then, cutting her words off as he pulled the bra off one arm at a time. He dropped it unceremoniously next to them on the couch and immediately brought his hands up to her, cupping her breasts in his hot palms as he drove his tongue into her mouth over and over again, dueling with hers. Claire whimpered and moaned into his mouth and shimmied in his lap as his hands worked over her. He circled her nipples with his fingers, driving her completely mad, before rolling them between his fingers and then pulling them gently, causing her to cry out against his lips.

“Do you like that?” Harry asked teasingly, tugging on her a little bit harder as he posed the question.

“Yes…” she hissed as she tore away from his mouth and sat up to look at him as he continued the torture on her breasts with his fingers. “I fucking love it…”

“What about this?” he asked softly half a second before he removed a hand from a breast, leaned in, and captured a hard nipple in his mouth. A hoarse sort of moan slipped from her mouth and she pushed against him, bringing a hand up to twist in his mess of red hair and hold him tight against her.

“Oh God…” she whimpered as he flicked his tongue hotly back and forth on first her right nipple before switching to the left and inflicting the same torturous motions there.

She couldn’t believe what he was doing to her body. It felt like he was literally lighting her on fire from the inside out. She ground down on him harder and harder as he sucked and nipped her into a frenzy, needing more of the precious friction she craved. Harry moaned around her nipple at her actions and the vibrations of it shot right down to her core and she pressed down especially hard on him. He instantly moved his hands to her hips and gripped them tightly, holding her still. He released a nipple from his mouth and leaned his forehead against her chest, taking a deep, ragged breath.

“Claire…you are driving me mad,” he groaned. He turned his face up to her and the lust she saw in his eyes flew directly into her and pooled right in her core.

“Harry, take me to bed,” she demanded in a low, throaty voice. “I can’t wait any longer. Please, take me…”

She didn’t have to ask him more than once. He was as ready as she was. He lifted her from his lap and set her firmly on the floor before he stood and looked down on her, his raking over her body, naked from the waist up, her breasts standing pert and at attention for him. If Harry was at all honest with himself, he wasn’t sure how he had survived this long without ripping of those tight little yoga pants and burying himself inside of her.

“Show me the way,” he murmured, motioned for her to move in front of him. She reached for his hand and moved in front of him, pulling him along behind her out of the living room and down the hall into her bedroom. As soon as they crossed the threshold of her room, he tugged on her hand, pulling her around and back up against him. She went easily, moaning as their bare chests met. He stared down into her eyes as he walked her slowly backwards to the bed in the middle of the room and when the backs of her knees met it he wrapped a tight arm around her waist and lowered her gently onto it, guiding her back towards the pillows and moving himself over her.

His lips immediately smashed down on hers and her hands flew to his hair, fisting there and holding his hot, demanding mouth to hers. His lips and tongue ravaged hers and then just as he thought she couldn’t handle it anymore he pulled away from her and she immediately sucked in a deep, ragged breath.

His mouth moved down her jaw, over the sensitive skin over her throat, and across her breasts again, paying quick attention to her nipples, before moving even lower; pressing hot, open mouthed kissed down her stomach. Tremors rocked her frame as his lips met her sensitive skin over and over again until he finally reached the waist band of her pants. Looking up at her with a cocky smile and hooded, lust filled eyes, he gathered the material in his fingers and started pulling, taking her panties with him as he went, until they were off her feet and tossed to the side.

He sucked in a breath as he looked at her, naked and spread out before him…waiting for him. He leaned forward and kissed the inside of her knee, bringing a whimper from her and a small smile from him. He was on a mission now, and that mission wouldn’t end until she was clenched tightly around him and screaming his name.

He kissed up her thigh until he reached the juncture of her thighs. He looked up at her and found her watching him, taking short, shallow breaths. “Can I kiss you here?” he asked huskily.

“Please Harry…” she breathed. She fisted her hands in the blanket below her in anticipation, but nothing…nothing…could have prepared her for the heat that shot through her body when his mouth pressed hotly against her. “Ohhhh…” she cried out, closing her eyes and throwing her head back as his lips and tongue worked slowly over her wet, heated flesh.

He steadily worked at her, flicking against her clit and running his tongue in easy circles around it. His hands held steady at her hips, squeezing her with his fingers as she rocked against his mouth. When her hands came up and fisted in his hair, when her moans got louder and louder, and when her thighs began to clench around his head, Harry knew she was close and he picked up his pace, worrying the tight bundle of nerves at the top of her sex around and around faster and faster.

“Oh God…Harry…” she cried out as she felt her orgasm approaching. “I’m…you’re going to make me…ohhh…”

And then she went, exploding against his mouth, her flesh pulsing fiercely under his lips and tongue. He stayed in place, albeit softly and gently, and let her ride out her climax. Finally, when her fingers had loosened in his hair and when her body had relaxed back against the bed, Harry moved up and over her. He captured her mouth with his, thrusting his tongue inside so she could taste herself on him, taste what he had done to her. It was erotic and sexy and intimate and Claire loved it. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him down to her, needing him against her after what had just happened.

“Harry…” she murmured as she wrapped legs around his waist. “You still have pants on…”

Harry chuckled against her mouth. “Want me to take them off?”

“Well, you can’t fuck me with them on…”

Harry’s actions stilled and he pulled back from her. His eyes were filled with dark lust when he looked down at her. “Is that what you want? You want me to fuck you?”

“Yes…” Claire said with a slow nod of her head.

Harry loved that she wasn’t embarrassed by that. He loved that she told him exactly what she wanted. And Harry…Harry wasn’t going to deny Claire anything she wanted. She had totally entranced him and he was completely at her mercy.

“Condom?” he asked.

“Nightstand,” she murmured, nodding towards the nightstand by the bed. Harry moved from her, enough to divest himself of his sweatpants and reach into the drawer for the condom. He tore it open and rolled it down over his length, looking at her the entire time; watching her watch him. And then he was back, moving over her, moving in between her legs, positioning himself over her.

“Claire…look at me,” Harry demanded huskily as he pressed the tip of his cock against her sex. Claire immediately looked up and caught his eyes. As soon as she did, Harry pressed forward into her, giving her inch by slow inch at a time.

“Fuck…” Claire cried out as he bottom out within her. She ran her hands up his arms and pulled at his shoulders, pulling him down closer to her. “You feel…”

Harry pulled out and slammed back in and Claire completely forgot what she was going to say. “I feel what?” Harry whispered. He thrust in and out of her again…and again…keeping up the slow, deep motion until Claire though she was going to combust. “How do I feel, Claire? Do you like this?”

“Harder…” she moaned, her head tipping back on the pillow as she thrust her hips up at him.

Harry grinned. She was a challenge and he loved it. And like any man stepped up to that particular challenge, Harry gave it his all. Placing his hands on either side of her head for support he pounded into her from above, thrusting into her warm, willing body with all he had. He grunted every time he hit bottom, loving the cries that left her lips at the same time. He loved that she kept eye contact with him and that she begged him to go harder and told him when it felt good and cried out for him not to stop when he was hitting her in a spot that made her dig her nails into his back.

But soon, much too soon, Harry felt his end approach. He wasn’t ready yet for it, he wanted her to go again. He knew she needed that, and Harry was going to give her everything she needed tonight. “Claire,” he groaned. “Come on Claire…”

“Almost there,” she responded instantly, breathlessly. “Almost…”

And then Harry shifted; just enough and just in the right place and it sent Claire flying, screaming, over the edge. Her body clenched so tightly around him that Harry followed her instantly, squeezing his eyes shut against the force of it and burying his face in her neck and he released himself inside of her. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him down against her, accepting and welcoming his weight.

They lay there just like that for a long while before Harry found that he had the strength to move, to pull himself off of her. He looked at her with a smile and reached over to gently push the hair from her face. “I’m just going to clean up,” he whispered.

“Okay,” she whispered back with a nod. She watched him as he moved from the bed and out into the hallway towards the bathroom. She couldn’t believe the turn her day had taken; where she was now and who she was with. She smiled to herself and let her eyes slide closed as she recounted what had just happened to her, what he had done to her body.

When Harry walked back into the room he grinned as he saw that she was balled up and fast asleep. He moved quietly back to the bed and slid in. He pulled the covers up around him and moved her as gently as possible to pull them up around her too. She stirred slightly and he shushed her, telling her to go back to sleep in a gentle whisper. Her body relaxed back into the bed and he moved in behind her, pulling her warm figure back up against his. And then, wrapping a strong arm around her waist he laid his head down and closed his eyes, falling into a deep, contented sleep.

************

SIX YEARS LATER

“Claire?”

Claire whipped around at the deep voice that called her name, not sure who would recognize her here in London, much less at a small little coffee shop in Kensington.

Her breath caught when she saw him. He looked just as she remembered, maybe a little older, just as she was sure she did; but still stunningly handsome in that cheeky, boyish way.

“Harry.”

“God…” he breathed. “It is you.”

Claire swallowed the lump in her throat. “How are you, Harry?”

Harry shook his head slightly. He could hardly believe she was here. He had thought of her so often in the past six years and now she was standing in front of him. “I’m good. I mean…Jesus, Claire…” He trailed off then, wide-eyed, as a little red haired girl ran up to Claire and tugged on the sleeve of her jacket.

“Mummy?” the little girl said in a sweet voice as she looked from Claire to Harry.

Claire’s face went white as she looked from Harry to her daughter. She knew he caught it. She knew he looked at Hallie and saw what Claire had seen from the moment she gave birth. She looked just like her father.

“Hallie,” Claire said quietly, laying a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “This is my old friend, Harry. Can you say hello?”

“Hello Harry,” Hallie said, turning her eyes to him and offering a small wave.

Harry looked down at the little red haired, green eyed girl and he felt his heart slam into his chest. He bent down so he was eye level with her. “Hello, Hallie. It’s nice to meet you.” He held out his hand and she took it, shaking it lightly. “You are very pretty, Hallie. You have your mother’s eyes.”

“Thank you,” the little girl said shyly before she turned and looked at her mother. “Mommy, can I go drink my hot chocolate now?”

Claire nodded, swallowing the lump that was building in her throat. She handed Hallie one of the cups she had been holding and pointed to a small table and two chairs just far enough away that Hallie could sit and not hear her and Harry talking.

“Bye Harry,” Hallie called as she walked off to the table. Claire watched her daughter as she sat and then pulled a tablet from her small backpack and started up her favorite game before she swung her gaze back to Harry.

“Harry…”

“How old is she?” His eyes were blazing with both anger and sadness.

Claire shifted on her feet. “Five, almost six.”

His eyes flashed. “Is she mine?”

She shook her head. “Don’t do that.”

“Don’t do what, Claire?” I fucking deserve to know,” he hissed at her.

“Why, Harry? What are you going to do? Are you going to go home and tell your pregnant wife that you found out you have a love child from a one night affair years and years ago?

Harry lifted his chin defiantly. “I would if…”

“No. You won’t do that,” Claire cut him off. “You can’t do that. Please…just don’t. I’ve taken care of her for almost six years. She is beautiful and smart and she is well adjusted. I swore to myself a long time ago that her life would be normal, and that doesn’t involve you.”

“It could have involved me. I didn’t even get to say good-bye to you that morning. I woke up and you were gone. I waited as long as I could and you never came back. I got your mobile number from my protection officer but you would never answer. And then one day it was disconnected. You never even gave me the chance to tell you that I wanted to see you again. Something happened between us…”

“Stop,” Claire said, tears forming in her eyes. “Just stop. You are married now. Your wife doesn’t deserve this. I wouldn’t have seen you again. It wouldn’t have worked out with us. I will live in that small town in Ireland for all of my life. I’m just visiting my aunt for a few days here and then Hallie and I will go back. I would never have fit in your life. So just stop.”

Suddenly a man in a suit stepped up to Harry. “Sir, we need to be going. You are due at the center in fifteen minutes.”

“Just give me a second,” Harry said sharply.

“No, you need to go,” Claire said quietly. “You have somewhere to be and I need to go sit and play games with my daughter.”

Harry clenched his teeth. “Claire.”

“Go,” she whispered, her voice catching. “She’s fine, Harry. I’ve got her. She’s fine.” Harry closed his eyes and she saw him swallow the lump. She saw him struggle with it. She stepped just a step closer to him and laid a soft hand on his arm. “Harry,” she waited until he opened his eyes and looked down at her. “She’s happy. Please. Be happy that she’s happy.”

Harry blinked and then swiped quickly at the tear that had formed in the corner of his eyes. “She’s beautiful, Claire. Just like you.”

“Thank you,” Claire murmured with a hoarse voice.

Harry nodded quickly and then leaned over and pressed a kiss against her cheek. Then he pulled back and glanced once more over that the little girl playing happily. He pressed his hand to his heart and took a deep, ragged breath. And then he turned and was gone, walking away from them swiftly.

Claire stared after him until he disappeared. She knew she would never see him again. She knew that was the last time he would appear in her life. A part of her heart ached for that, but a part of her was glad that she had met him again, that he had met her daughter.

And along with that there was always the part of her that was thankful that she had met him in the first place, because he had given her the true love of her life.

He had given her Hallie.


End file.
